Tag: construction business tips: Page 5

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3: Be Fair
Treating everyone fairly and treating everyone equally isn’t the same thing. If you treat everyone exactly the same, they’ll think you don’t care about them. Have an individualized approach to your employees, and clearly explain decisions you make that affect them. They’ll respect you for it.   < STEP 2           […]
November 12, 2013
construction manager
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2: Be Open and Honest
Although it’s your company, you should want your employees to be interested and invested in the well-being of the firm. They’re never going to be able to do that unless you tell them what’s going on. Instituting transparency is a direct path to gaining the loyalty and trust of your people. If they feel they […]
November 12, 2013
Mitch Cox (left) discusses a sitework with Raymond McBride, president of Mitch Cox Construction and Scotty Lane, senior superintendent.
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1: Have the “Right” People
Attracting and retaining people isn’t enough. You have to hire and keep people who are a good fit for the type of company you want to have. No matter how skilled the employees, sometimes their demeanor or attitude simply derails what you’re trying to accomplish. < INTRO                 […]
November 12, 2013
manager with workers
Business
3 culture-changing steps contractors can take to combat the skilled worker shortage
There’s been no shortage of attention lately to the skilled worker shortage. Although industry advocates like Mike Rowe have been beating the drum for a while, now everyone is catching on—analyzing what happened and trying to find ways to attract new workers to the trade. Some contractors have even created their own courses to train […]
November 12, 2013
Two construction workers
Business
3 smart strategies to try in your construction business from a successful landscaper
We’ve all heard stories of unconventional entrepreneurs taking the path less traveled to success. The challenge lies in finding practical ways to apply alternative strategies to your own business. Terry Sims of the Garden Artist in Boise, Idaho, has taken her landscape design firm to the top of her field using smart strategies. And though […]
October 29, 2013
Terry Sims of the Garden Artist in Boise, Idaho, and her crew.
Business
Too much of a good thing? Three steps for managing your construction company’s growth
It’s the time of year when Equipment World editors start scouring Contractor of the Year nominations, looking for the best of the best. Some traits are easy to pick out as the signs of a contender: low turnover, good revenue growth, excellent equipment management, a sterling safety record. While others don’t quite jump out at you, […]
September 3, 2013
shutterstock_119933068
Business
Energy, fuel and the federal regulatory tsunami dominate the conversation at the 2013 Construction Symposium
Contractors and heavy equipment fleet managers got an earful of what challenges await them in the construction industry and what the solutions might be at the Randall Reilly Construction Symposium held Wednesday and Thursday in Dallas, Texas. In a nutshell—the shale oil and gas revolution is going to be great for the construction industry, but […]
August 23, 2013
Brett Hoffman Symp
Business
74 tips for reducing equipment costs (31-45)
With this post, we’re now more than halfway through my 74 ways to reduce equipment costs. Here are tips No. 31-45: 31: Track turn rates Turn rates (how often items and inventory value are replaced) are important indicators to show what is and is not moving.  Slow and no movers can be removed but you […]
August 23, 2013
construction equipment
Business
Three reasons every contractor should have taken a summer vacation
In Alabama, we’ve just had our tax-free weekend for parents to buy all the back-to-school stuff their kids need. Every year, it’s the signal the summer is, for all practical purposes, over. So, where did you take your vacation this year? Did you even take one? If you didn’t, you should have. If you can, […]
August 5, 2013
Credit: Wayne Grayson
Business
Timely feedback: Building success in the construction industry with 6 management actions (PART 4)
In my last post, I wrote about my industrial minerals company learning experience and the importance of asking for input. I’ve got another example from that experience I’d like to share. Action No. 5: Provide information and feedback in a timely manner Asking for input before making the decision to undertake the Total Quality Management […]
August 2, 2013
construction manager
Business
Want your construction business to be more successful? Diversify your personnel.
In interviewing contractors across the country for our Contractor of the Year program, Equipment World editors get a pretty good sense of what works—and what doesn’t—across a range of business practices. Because turnover in the construction industry is such a problem, I’m always interested to see what strategies contractors use to recruit and retain. However, […]
June 28, 2013
workers
Business
Is your construction company being embezzled? How to sniff out the problem
Times were good in the early 2000s when a Southern California contractor went looking for a financial manager. “This candidate was far above anyone else we interviewed,” the contractor says. She had construction experience and caught on quickly. He immediately gave her more responsibility. The manager would sit down with him every month, going over […]
May 1, 2013
Embezzled Grid Graphic
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